Going Public

What’s Your Next Step?, UCC, 5.7.2023

Going Public

John 12:37-50

Introduction

Welcome online folks (vacation)

Start with a confession — Troy game, Emma not being a UF fan, Andrew had ticket, elders still don’t know, split allegiance, stakes are much higher in John 12

Read John 12:37-50

3 things I want you to know from this passage…

Explanation

There is no such thing as a secret Christian.

Re-read verse 42-43

We tend to think no prominent Jews believed, but many did! They wanted to keep it secret, but that’s not how it works. One of these was Nicodemus.

How many of us want to visit Jesus “in the dark”?

Two women from mega church that were cubicle-mates

We like privatized faith because it never brings challenge.

Matthew 10:33 — deny me/deny before Father

Even in persecuted places, it is done with tact. To deny Jesus even at threat of death is to forfeit the faith.

If we are following Jesus but keeping it to ourselves so that only we know, we aren’t following Jesus faithfully. There is no allegiance to Jesus if the allegiance is only in private.

There is no such thing as risk-less Christianity.

v. 42b

2 Timothy 3:12

The other important Jewish leader that believed in Jesus that we know of was Joseph of Arimathea. He goes from passive/quiet belief without denying to openly acknowledging that comes with a risk.

“Brother Paul, today is a good day to die for the Lord”

Don’t miss the sacrifice and risk because it’s different. Ironically, sometimes we’re unwilling to sacrifice because the sacrifice is smaller.

Ours may not be death or dismissal from the synagogue but it is…

being ostracized b/c of wholehearted devotion among nominal Christians

e.g. the looks Mom has gotten from other teachers

If you want a comfortable faith, you need to go somewhere else. Not just a different church, a different Christ.

Privatized, convenient faith really reveals the deeper issue of a love of praise from other people more than from God

There is no such thing as praise from men that’s better than praise from God.

v. 43, 50

If you think you’re missing out (on praise from mankind) you are missing out (on fully understanding the goodness of praise from God).

“Loved by all” could be the worst thing said at your funeral if sincere

Compare that with Isaiah 53:3 (feel that way?) followed by Philippians 2:9-11

Exhortation

Take the step to go public with your belief that Jesus is the Savior of the world.

Who in your life needs to hear your acknowledge the change God has made in you?

Who in your life needs to know that you truly believe this is the most crucial thing in life?

What areas of your life don’t align with your faith?

Invitation (+ communion)

There is no praise from man that is better than praise from God.

To get that praise we have to be perfect.

All of us have denied God in some form or fashion.

At the least, we have the law on our hearts and have not acknowledged God as King by rebelling against what is good and right.

In the midst of our rebellion when we failed to identify with God, God identified with us. (53:2)

Gospel — 53:5, 10

Baptism — To accept that healing we have to believe that he is the Savior, repent of our old life, and publicly identify with Jesus. Be baptized!

Prayer —

Communion — For those that have identified with him, we take communion to publicly proclaim his death, celebrate his resurrection, and anticipate his return.